1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to assemblies for mounting devices for reproducing sound, such as loudspeakers, in a barrier or partition. More specifically, it relates to more convenient means for mounting loudspeakers in the walls or ceiling of a room in such a way that performance is also improved.
2. Background of the Invention
Loudspeakers built into walls or ceilings as a substitute for conventional floor standing or book shelf loudspeakers have grown in popularity over the last few decades. Their appeal lies in their low visual impact in a room and that they occupy negligible space in the occupied area.
Many different mounting systems for so called “in-wall” or “in-ceiling” loudspeakers are currently in use, such as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,578,808 and in 5,400,412. However, the primary focus of these systems is convenience and ease of installation for the installer. Most of these systems rely on the face material of the partition, usually drywall, to support the speaker system and utilize some form of clamping system to hold the speaker system in place. However, research has shown that drywall does not have adequate stiffness or damping to deliver audio performance equal to that typically delivered by freestanding loudspeakers whose enclosures are constructed from materials better suited to suppressing the vibrations produced by a loudspeaker. Due in part to this problem, it is generally accepted that in-wall speakers do not perform as well as free standing speakers of otherwise equivalent cost and quality.
The negative effect of this lack of proper vibration control is two fold. First, energy that would be used by the loudspeaker system to make music is now transferred to the surrounding wall or ceiling. This does not happen evenly at all frequencies and will distort the resulting sound in the room. Additionally, the energy transmitted to the wall can cause the wall or anything attached to it to vibrate and cause unwanted noises such as buzzes or rattles. This transmitted energy may also cause unwanted noises in rooms on the opposite side of the wall upon which the speaker is mounted.
One mounting method that attempts to address this problem is to provide an enclosure inside the wall for containing the acoustic energy radiated from the rear of the speaker. In this method, a pre-fabricated or custom built enclosure is mounted between the studs or joists prior to installation of drywall. The enclosure defines a mounting hole and location for the speaker and, depending on the means of securing the enclosure in the wall and the means for mounting the speaker in the enclosure, may help control vibration of the drywall. However, these enclosures are, of necessity, larger than the required mounting hole and must either be installed prior to drywall installation or will require removal, replacement and refinishing of substantial sections of the drywall in a retro-fit installation. In addition, standard enclosures may not fit in the wall space available due to pre-existing conditions such as irregular construction or the presence of other building systems already in the wall. Fabrication of a costly custom enclosure would be required in such circumstances to employ this method.
Other in-wall loudspeaker mounting devices known as “pre-construction brackets” or “rough-in kits” are often used in new construction. These brackets are often attached to two studs or ceiling joists using nails or screws prior to drywall installation for the purpose of locating the mounting hole for an in-wall loudspeaker, prior to drywall installation. These brackets provide the drywall installer with a guide to make the speaker mounting hole in the correct place as the drywall is being placed. However, since the only purpose of these brackets is to act as a location guide they are typically made from inexpensive materials, usually plastic, which offer no structural support. Once the speaker is mounted it still depends almost solely on the rigidity of the drywall surrounding the hole for support and for control of the vibration produced by the loudspeaker. Also, as their name implies, these pre-construction brackets are only usable before the drywall has been installed.
Similar pre-construction brackets are used in the lighting and electrical industry for locating and supporting lighting fixtures, electrical boxes and the like prior to drywall installation. Such a device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,574. In addition, there are numerous prior art brackets for locating and supporting electrical boxes or fixtures from adjacent studs or joists as is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,752,472, 2,670,919, 2,788,188, 3,518,421, 4,463,923, 4,513,994 and 4,909,405, each of which is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference. As can be seen from these disclosures some of these devices are also suitable for installation after drywall is in place. However, since control of acoustically induced vibration is not an issue, none of these devices include any means for improving the rigidity or resistance to vibration of the drywall between the mounting hole and the adjacent studs or joists.
It is therefore clear that a need exists for an in-wall or in-ceiling loudspeaker mounting system which is both practical in retro fit applications, easy to install and offers performance improvements through improved structural integrity and control of acoustically induced vibration.